My Values
Journaling gave me a space to be honest. A way to slow down and see what was really driving me.
When I heard Sam Harris ask,
What would you do now if you knew you only had one year left to live?
I realised I didn’t have a clear answer. Not because I lacked ambition, but because I hadn’t defined what truly mattered to me.
Over time, journaling brought clarity. Not about goals, but about values.
These are the ones I try to live by. They aren’t rules. They’re personal and evolving. They help me notice when I’m aligned and when I’ve drifted.
1. Wisdom is freedom
Stay open. Stay curious.
I’ve learned more from being wrong than from being right.
Wisdom is not about knowing more. It is about seeing more clearly. Noticing where I’m reactive. Questioning my assumptions. Being willing to change my mind.
Reading helps. Writing helps. Realising I was wrong helps even more.
The clearer I see, the freer I feel.
2. Love yourself
Look after the body. Look after the soul.
When I move, I feel better. When I drink less, I feel clearer. When I sleep properly and eat well, I feel more like the version of myself I respect.
Loving myself is not indulgence. It is responsibility.
It shows up in small decisions. In rest. In discipline. In forgiveness when I get it wrong.
When I drift here, everything feels harder. When I honour it, everything steadies.
3. Love others
Presence over performance.
The best form of love is presence. Not fixing. Not impressing. Just being there.
For my family. My friends. The stranger I pass on the towpath.
Attention is a form of care.
The connection I feel when I look into Woody’s eyes, when I take time to actually be with him, is no less real.
Loving others means showing up fully. With honesty. With attention.
4. Breathe it in
Slow down enough to notice.
In the mornings, with a mug of tea and Woody beside me, I sit quietly. I journal. I watch the light move across the river.
These pauses recalibrate me.
Stopping mid-walk to listen to birdsong or watch light through the trees reminds me that urgency is often self-created.
This is not about checking out. It is about tuning in.
5. Make it matter
Create with care.
I want to do work that feels aligned. Not just impressive.
Making it matter means asking why before chasing how.
It means putting things into the world that I can stand behind. Not loudly. Quietly.
Contribution over consumption.
6. Time is ticking
Live awake.
I do not want to sleepwalk through life.
Distraction is constant. So is fear.
Fear of starting. Fear of failing. Fear of not knowing where something will go.
But clarity often follows action. Momentum builds after the first step.
This is not about pressure. It is about beginning. Choosing to move. Making something small but real happen today.
Time keeps moving. I try to move with it, intentionally.